


Be My Santa

by BakerStTardis (Sokashi)



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas fic, Crack I guess, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 21:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16982199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokashi/pseuds/BakerStTardis
Summary: A short christmas fic a Hobbit Holiday gift!





	Be My Santa

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mcmanatea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcmanatea/gifts).



“I need you to be my Santa. ”

  
Thorin blinked. The bookstore was crowded with holiday shoppers and he was facing a small man with a head full of honey curls and the largest blue eyes he’d ever seen. Beside him, Kili laughed and the sound jostled Thorin out of staring. He felt his ears burn a bit and scowled, the words sinking in.

  
“What.”

  
The smaller man took a breath, his eyes widened slightly as he scanned Thorin obviously a bit more thoroughly, then pinked adorably. “It’s nothing-inappropriate-” His voice dropped to a whisper at the word and Kili’s laughter turned to outright giggles beside them. “I just-they’re all here for Santa and the man canceled on me and having a store full of upset parents and children is not a treat for anyone, let me tell you, and-”

  
Thorin realized the man would continue to babble until stopped and scowled a bit more. “No.” He said gruffly, without really even thinking about it but all kinds of alarms were going off in him and the place was crowded and oh, god; the man’s face fell into the most disappointed look- Something inside him clenched a bit and he couldn't figure out why while he was still staring at him.

  
“C’mon, Uncle.” Kili said, nudging him with an elbow. “You don’t want to disappoint kids, do you?” The words were half teasing and half knowing. Thorin never could disappoint his nephews after all and they were well past the believing-in-Santa age.

  
Thorin flickered a glance at his youngest nephew; weakening a bit. Immediately the other man perked up again. “Please. It’s an hour, two tops. I’ll be there the whole time. I-I’ll buy your books. And dinner!” Thorin looked at him and the smaller man cocked his head a bit, blue eyes taking him in a bit more and a bit of a curl to the end of his lips. “Dinner on me.” He affirmed.

  
One of the bells going off inside him pealed a little louder and Thorin grumbled. “Couldn’t someone else-” He looked at his nephew who was cheery and round face but undoubtedly young for the role. Everyone else around them was a child or had a child hanging on them.

  
“No one else here in the right size or I’d do it myself.” The small man huffed impatiently then had the books out of Thorin’s hands and was guiding him away. “The suit it wonderful. Freshly cleaned. I keep it up myself. You’ll look great.” Thorin was suddenly in a small back room with the little man unbuttoning Thorin’s shirt with nimble little fingers. Behind him a glorious suit of plush velvet and soft white fur hung. Brass buttons gleamed in the light; they had a little acorn printed on each.

  
“Dinner.” Thorin repeated. What was it about this man? Why hadn’t Thorin stormed away yet? Why was he unbuttoning Thorin’s shirt?

  
“Yes, dinner." The man said absently, not looking up from his task. "Whatever you like. I’ll-”

  
“Make me dinner?” Thorin said, accidentally cutting him off.

  
“I’ll buy-” Those big blue eyes looked up, focused, and something changed as Thorin's words sunk in. There was a horrifying breath when Thorin realized how wrong he’d been before the man smiled. “I’ll make you dinner.” He said firmly. “And I’m a very good cook.” He added and he was definitely smirking now. “But first-” He raised up on his tiptoes and Thorin found himself blinking, heart pounding with the man's face coming so close to his own. “You’ve got to go out there and be Santa Claus.” A velvet hat fell over his eyes and the smaller man was gone. “Hurry up! You've got five minutes. I’ll be right back!”

***

  
There was a story to read; The Night Before Christmas, of course. Thorin's voice filled the building, stilling the noise and bustle of the Christmas crowd. Everyone stopped to listen; even the gossiping parents and the barista workers in the cafe across the store. He seemed oblivious to the effect and comfortable in the bright suit. His long dark hair was unbound beneath the hat, spilling majestically along his shoulders. Something had been dusted into his beard to make it white, matching the streaks in his hair. He might not look like a conventional Santa Claus but he still looked amazing. Once the story finished there was a general hubbub as children tried to rush to meet him and store workers dressed as elves walked around to pass out snacks while others controled the chaos into a nice weaving line through the book shelves.

  
From slightly above and to one side a still, darker crowd watched.

  
“I am so glad you called us.” Fili said from just over his brother’s shoulder.

  
"I thought it was funny but look at him! He's doing great!" Kili said, bouncing a little on his toes.

  
“And which young man convinced him?” Balin asked thoughtfully as he looked over the small wonderland that had been crafted at one end of the store. It had fake snow and cute reindeer and a sled shaped throne for a Santa who was maybe darker haired and a little more well built than most in the city. By the amount of adoring stares no one, kids or adults alike, minded.

  
Kili nodded towards the small man at his uncle’s side who was dressed in warm browns and reds and had a small set of antlers peaking out of his hair. He was willing to bet Thorin hadn’t even noticed he was dressed as a reindeer to match the other elves and reindeer organizing lines and passing out treats around the store. “That one. Bilbo Baggins. Owns the store according to the nice little Christmas elf who showed me where I could stand out of the way.”

  
Dwalin grunted as he took several pictures with his phone. “I don’t see how that little man could convince Thorin of anything, but these will be some great blackmail for years to come.” He grinned and took another shot of Thorin-smiling- at a small red headed girl as he urged her to perch on his knee.

  
Balin elbowed him hard and smiled a little smugly as they watched the little reindeer bedecked man fussily help Thorin when the hat started sliding after a grabby toddler. Baggins looked-fond as he performed the action and Thorin looked possibly more besotted than Balin had ever seen him. "Oh, I don't think they will be blackmail at all."

***

It was longer than two hours and the man didn’t complain. Bilbo watched him out of the corner of his eye as he gave directions to a couple of employees while his Santa-whose name he still didn’t know- knelt down to talk to a child in a wheelchair. The man's eyes crinkled with little crows feet when he smiled and his deep voice soothed even the fussiest of toddlers. Bilbo had found himself watching the wide, strong hands lift babies and smooth hair and- great Gandalf- he was lusting after his last minute Santa Claus. Bilbo took a deep breath and looked away, smiling at his employees and waving goodbye to a couple of regulars as they headed for the door. His Santa straightened and scowled at something Bilbo couldn’t see before turning to face him. The expression smoothed slightly from his white dusted beard. "I think that was the last of them." He sounded a little lost now in the emptying store and tugged the hat off his head.

  
All at once it was just the two of them in a mostly empty bookstore that still smelled of fresh baked cookies and that comforting book smell. Bilbo swallowed and looked up at him with a smile. “Bilbo Baggins.” He offered a hand and told himself it was out of politeness and not just to touch this man who had saved him out of a bad situation and looked amazing while doing it.

  
The man stared at his hand for a moment then reached out and clasped it. “Thorin Durin.” He said, his voice a low rumble.

  
The clasp was more sure than the man Thorin looked at his eyes were-so open. Almost vulnerable beneath the scowl and the hair. Bilbo smiled, holding onto the handshake, and stepped closer. “Well, Thorin Durin, let’s get you out of that suit and I’ll make you that dinner. I live just upstairs.”

  
It wasn’t a pick up line and Bilbo saw the moment that Thorin, slightly sweaty stripped of the Santa suit and redressed in his own dark clothes, realized it. White still liberally streaked his beard from the spray dye and his long hair was tousled from the hat and children but none of it took away from the cut of his jaw or the width of his chest. He followed slightly behind Bilbo up the steps to his place but Bilbo noticed he looked less at his surroundings than at Bilbo himself. The smaller man flushed a bit and tugged the reindeer antlers off his head. “So, it there anything you’d like for dinner? I keep a well stocked larder-” Bilbo opened said larder and peered inside, feeling flustered and distracted by the man behind him, in his space, in his home.

  
“You own a bookstore, my nephews’ favorite bookstore, you live cozily above it.” Thorin said thoughtfully, making Bilbo turn and look at him slightly perplexed.

  
“Yes. Well, thank you and yes.” He cocked his head slightly as Thorin stared.

  
“Why did you choose me out of everyone in the store?”

  
Bilbo blinked and cast him a look. “I wasn’t lying. You’re the only one who would’ve fit. It was only afterwards that I realized you had gorgeous eyes in that scowl.” The comment made Thorin blink, looking surprised, and Bilbo laughed as he turned to step closer. “You also look rather majestic riding to my rescue.” He said placing one hand on said wide chest.

  
Thorin sucked in a breath, hands falling to Bilbo’s hips. Bilbo was grinning up at him, sassy. Mischievous. “I have known you no time at all, but I can tell you are going to cause to me no end of problems.” He said, trying to frown but no succeeding, not even a little bit.

  
Bilbo laughed, tilting his face up to him. "That's alright your scowl is almost as sexy as that smile." He teased.

  
Thorin blinked a little because his family barely teased him, let alone strangers. What else could he do but lean into that laugh and kiss him; a silent Christmas wish for more to come.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so out of practice this was almost painful to write. I hope someone enjoys it!
> 
> edit: ao3 keeps messing up my editing. I'll try to fix it


End file.
